Joseph Took

This page is a Diary of a Crawler, the journal of an individual character. This page probably contains spoilers.

Crawl Version 0.8.0 Hafling Warper

Diary of Joseph Took, the Wary Hafling Warper:

It's getting quite late, I must have drifted off as I was expanding my cupboard into the back of my comfortable hill. It always needed more room for treats. Oh dear, what is this echo, and this uncomfortably damp breeze? Well, I am the soon of a Took after-all, might as well find out where this leads too, I do hope I'll be able to get back before midnight tea.

L1:

I'm glad to have brought along this short sword of my Grandfather Took. He always said, "When the rough gets going, cut it smooth!"

I found a curious book sitting in the library. Haven't cracked it open until now, but might as well get cracking. Magic Mongo's book of Spatial Translocations, let's see, ah yes... a for Apportations. Looks easy enough to memorize. Might get useful, at least for training purposes, and when I need a thrown item back clickety split!

Might as well get exploring...

I've decided to get my apportions skill up sooner, with this extra experience and the lack of hunger at the beginning of the game. Will use up the last bit of my experience on dodging. Might come in handy later.

Encountered a sleeping creature of some sort, looks to be a Kobold... from books I've read. No dagger to stab with, so perhaps a few lawn darts from me Gramps lawn sport kit will do the trick. He had a few darts hisself, took down my health a bit, by 2. I'll hide back here and rest a bit.

Hmm... a glowing elven whip. If it's cursed I'll be without a way to eat. Keep it for later. Scroll of Ponle Tiash, must be some joke, it's not any language I've studied. I'll wait until I have two of em, so I can make notes on the second.

A hobgoblin! This is starting to be an adventure indeed. Hobgoblin's shouted, so I better make for my entrance again, and avoid the crowd. Three darts did the trick. Too bad I couldn't have put the experience from offing the Kobold to dodging. The Hobgoblin must have alerted a pack of two rats and a cockroach to the area. I'll try to funnel the experience to dodging. Offing them with me sword afterwards.

Then I encountered two Kobolds and two goblins. Nearly got offed by my own lawn darts by the Kobold! Next time need to pull the crowd apart a little more. On the plus side, dodging is at 70%.

A gecko, sorry to see it go, but it was in the way. Then that brought the bad luck of another Kobold and goblin. Used the megabat after that to channel a little more to dodging, and just received the armor skill too.

Two stairs, a short way away from one another. I wonder how far down these dungeons go? Might as well start stocking up on food as I go. Since I've checked out the area around these stairs, might as well take a look see down.

First Stairs: Encountered a noisy goblin, far enough way for darting, and all alone. Picked up a rather nice looking dagger from im, hope it's not cursed.

Second Stairs: Rather dangerous, sleeping megabat, plus a noisy goblin. I'll go back up right away.

Two more goblins, surprising amount of damage when they have weapons. Fortunately the darts are softening them up.

Up level to three, feel much more dextrous, though strength might have helped with carry weight.

He, look at this large antique! A glowing dwarven large shield. How quaint! I'll stash it away somewhere.

Had some trouble with hunger, and got sick eating some tainted meat too. But that was all, and now I have bread rations and meat rations after some more explorations. Beat the hunger with an apple followed by roasted rat.

The potion turned out to be one of confusion, didn't help much.

Level I Summary: Mostly bats goblins and Kobolds, with one iguana. One runed dagger, two runed whips, not all from L1. +1 Darts almost used up. 3 darts of dispersal left for retreat to upstairs. Spell training paid off, blink is at very good. Considering taking non runed daggers along for throwing, but they are heavy, at 2 aum apiece, and can be used against me. Darts much lighter at .3 aum. 5 scrolls, two paired, will test after next level. Nothing cursed yet, got lucky.

L2 - L4

Checking back through the writings I've done so far, I must have lost some pages in the scuffle with that Ogre. I ended up polymorphing him into a human, so he couldn't even swing his large mace at me. Still got the experience though. Or perhaps it was the scuffle with four quokka's. Ended up using the last of my darts of dispersal on them.

The ecumenical temple should be approaching soon. Time to start bringing down the more valuable items. I've also encountered four altars already, one to Makhleb, One to Zin, and two to Trog.

L5

I've encountered this priestly looking orc. I've read that they have a deadly smite attack. They probably smell the chopped up orc brother that I've butchered. I am frightened, because there are two regular orcs in the way... run away! Fortunately stealth is helping. One of the regular orcs didn't see me, and has probably gotten in the way of the priest. I managed to off one of the orcs, the orc priest did get past the wandering orc! Yipes. There's only one way out of this, blink and run, or take 'im out with my short sword! I was burdened with a club, tossed it at the orc priest, and lightly wounded it. It got withing melee. I hit it, it muttered a prayer under it's breath, but fortunately Beogh didn't hear it. I hit the orc priest again, the priest has a glowing orcish mace, which took me down significantly. I try to hit him again, but the sword glances off of a large button on his robe. Fortunately he misses me. We do no damage to each other again. and again. The priest is taking me down faster than I am he. Switching to darts, the +1 darts I've been holding in reserve. I am smited once, but it wasn't that bad. The darts have made no difference. This is a tough fight.... Finally some success!, I've severely wounded him! I'm going to get through this with my halfling honor intact. My Gramps would be proud of me right now! The wrath hits me again, the heavier armor I switched to is helping out greatly in diminishing the pain from the glowing orcish mace. The priest prays and heals itself. I decide enough is enough. A potion of might would be a good approach. I puncture the priest! Then Kill it finally at 16/40 hp. I should really get my strength up to 13.

I've healed up quite well now. And with 30 XP, I feel like rounding out my skills some more on the remaining orc. Didn't find the orc, but did find a goblin hiding behind a statue of Vehumet, near Vehumet's altar. Afterwards I found two more orcs, enticed one back near the altar, killed it, then found out that the statue was damaging my health with it's cold!

Keep exploring, I'll take out the ice statue with this wand of fireball that i found. It didn't work on the imp, but will work on ice.

I'm quite hungry. Too bad this food is always rotting. In explorations I did find the ecumenical temple at L7, but will have to leave it right way to hunt for some more grub.

L6

Kobold den found, after taking out another ogre with a sling and silvered sling bullets. As well as two jellies with some stones. Unfortunately I'm a bit weak to take on big Kobolds. Found an amulet of rage, that might help, as long as I have food and take them on in pairs.

After the Kobold den I decided to take out the stone statue on L5 with the wand of fireball. Now I have 140 experience points to spend, but I'm hungry again. The wand also came in useful for taking out a white imp on L5

This level also has a den of orcs. Way too much for me to handle, nearly died, because of two orc priests.

L7

Ecumenical Temple, I really should get a god soon. The sky beast on this level is rather a pain.

L8

Big open spaces, I managed to kill a big K and two smaller K's and a worker ant, somehow, by burning through lot of gear.

The End

So I went back to level 6 to try and get my piety up for Okawaru's might, tried to kill a big K but couldn't. Then its poison got to me, and I died, because I didn't have any potions of health left. Basically surrounded by inedible, strong creatures, without any food in sight, it was either die of poison or die of hunger. Haflings suck. Should have worked slings up to a higher level, ignoring short swords, because of low strength until Okawaru would give me might. Blink is too random to be useful for staying far away, and used up too much magic anyway. And stones weigh too much. I could have used the amulet of rage to kill the big K, but it would only have gotten me hungrier, with no edible monsters nearby. Hafling warpers are no fun.

Since poison killed me, and I didn't have any way to poison others, I'll probably go with something that has poison mitigation and can shoot poison for the next run.

The Diary of Sephilous Sook, a Naga Venom Mage

Okawaru has sent me back in the form of that which killed me. As I died of poison, he thought it worthwhile that I be a Naga, resistant to poison, as well as having the ability to poison everything I could in the dungeon.

L1

Sting cleared things out really fast. Worked Poison Magic up to 5 ASAP, then it went up to 6 naturally. Also got spellcasting up a level. Next is Dodging at 65%, and Conjurations at 60%. Also will be working on shortblades, as I seem to have found a venom branded dagger. All three staircases explored. On to L2

L2

Ran into Terence while hungry. He had a trident. So I tried for a little help from some scrolls. Got fog, which allowed me to move away a step. He died of poison. Iguana didn't leave a corpse, the rat did, but at that point I was near starving. Finally got a rat corpse. Now I'm just hungry again. I'm really trying to leave that bread ration for worse situation, or for a strategic move. Found a worm, feel much better now that I've eaten some of my lesser relatives. Even have 11 more xp to use...hmm fighting would be good right now, as well as short sword. I'll stop all training to get them as level 1.

I just realized I could eat Kobold corpses! So much for my hunger complaints from before as a halfling. That's good, I was getting hungry again. At least halflings have a bit slower metabolism. Encountered a megabat, decided to use the experience to get dodging up another level after-all. Now I have a bat corpse, good. So that give me a chance to get Conjurations up.

So by L2 I now have: Dodg 2; Slth 4; Spel 2; Conj 2; and Pois 6, all at 15% or less. Pretty good for Level 2.

Sting is now at Strawberry, and I still want fighting and short blades, and probably stabbing too. Will leave spellcasting on, since that will end up solving some of the hunger problems.

Dropped down to Level 3 and found a banded mail.... hmmm, very nice, but I'll need better armor skill to wear it. Better leave the robe on for now. Stealth and Dodging are going to keep me safer especially if I get stabbing.

Encountered two megabats and some gnolls. Now I have shortblades! Good, turn that off, and wait for fighting. I'm loving the 492 aum of carryweight with the Naga's. Means I can keep my Dungeons clean. However, I am dropping everything I don't need every time I clear a dungeon level.

For weapons, dropping everything except daggers, the venom dagger, and the dwarven short sword, since it's resistant to acidic corrosion. Might come in handy. Dropping the ring mail and banded mail. Nagas aren't good at heavy armor anyway. Will keep the scrolls and potions on me in case I need some miracles.

L3

No wonder I can hit so easily with this venom dagger! It has +3 accuracy, and a +1 damage for a total of +5 damage.

Ran into my first orc, had a runed orcish hand axe. It hit me three times, averaging 4 damage each time, yikes. It's really nice having a easy to hit with poisoned dagger when I run into a nasty. Got an orcish leather armour from the orc, I'll go on ahead and switch to it. It's cursed, but who cares?

Went on ahead and read EFEIQE LUPURGHU, but it wasn't enchant armour, must be charging.

Found a scroll that I had tried too early. Turned out to be remove curse. Then found a second remove curse. Good.

Nearly got killed by four orcs. Really need armor one to increase the effectiveness of this leather armor. Forgot that I had mephitic cloud. Duh.

Used mephitic cloude on Crazy Yiuf one turn late. But confused him enough to send him away. Poisoned him to death. Poisoning makes the early game go so much smoother! Now I have 41 experience points, nice. Turns out one of my hammers is +5 protection nice. Also got a cloak... hmm. Leather armor plus cloak is 3 ac 9 ev. robe Plus cloak is 3 ac + 10 ev. If I can just get 1 armor skill.... I'll wear an orcish ring mail, that should do it.

Finally got the armor skill. Now my AC is at 4 with only one point down on EV for 9 with the cloak and leather armor.

Unfortunately I ran into an Ice beast, and even with a scroll of blinking, and a potion of invisibility, the ice beast still got me. The two imps I ran into used up my scroll of teleportation. Basically died of slowness and the inability to harm imps or ice beasts. Maybe a different version of Naga, like a Naga Fire Mage :-).